House Speaker Mark Ferrandino last week signed commendation letters for six high school students participating in Youth Leadership Jefferson County. They’re still in his desk, waiting to be given to the lawmaker who asked for them.

Rep. Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, who carried Jessica’s Law, said she “assumes” Ferrandino held onto the letters because of her comments last month about the bill’s death on Bill O’Reilly show on Fox News. And Ferrandino confirmed she is right.

Ferrandino, D-Denver, said he signed the letters the day he got them, on March 5.

“We usually send them out but she said on Bill O’Reilly she was going to come see me, so I assumed I’d just hand them to her when I saw her,” he said.

[media-credit name=”George Frey/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”150″][/media-credit] A bill that address guns and mental health to be introduced this week.

UPDATE: Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, on Friday decided to not introduce this bill, citing that she’s going to hold off and try to garner bipartisan support for it.

In what’s been the most polarizing of issues this legislative session, some bipartisanship may soon come about from the gun debate, as a bill that addresses mental health and guns is set to be unveiled.

The measure is championed by state Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, and is scheduled to be presented either Thursday or Friday. It’s the final gun measure from a package of bills Democrats have labeled as comprehensive “gun safety” proposals.

“It’s been drafted and is in final editing,” said McCann earlier in the week. “The bill is essentially designed to help keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them.”

When Democrats held a news conference in early February, the bill was described as directing mental health professionals to notify the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if they conclude a person poses a danger of serious physical harm to themselves or others. Moreover, the bill is said to provide an opportunity to have gun rights restored to individuals through the courts should they be taken away due to having mental health issues.

Throughout the contentious debate over guns that’s occurred in both the House and Senate, Republicans have forcefully denounced the majority of Democratic gun legislation and said mental health is key to combating mass shootings like the one at an Aurora movie theater last July. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper has also stressed the need for gun legislation that addresses mental health.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.